Verse - 11. Chapter 11

Mr. Lund cleared his throat, catching Cody and Soren’s attention. The two boys blushed lightly, having been caught in their flirting.

They gave Cody’s father too much credit; he made no effort to call attention to the way the two had been giggling and staring at one another. Instead, the man set a thin tablet on the table, sliding it in his son’s direction.

Cody made a face, wondering. His father never shared the tablet. “Yeah?” Cody questioned.

“There was a murder,” Mr. Lund answered neutrally, his eyes gesturing towards the tablet. “Local one, I mean.” Soren joined Cody in his look of bewilderment. There were murders every day, they knew. “It was a gun crime,” Mr. Lund exclaimed.

It clicked. Gun murders were rarer than most. “Local?” Cody asked, pulling the tablet over to examine the news article.

His father nodded, shrugging. “Martha Oniroyov was killed last night. Both her husband and her son are missing.”

Cody and Soren immediately shot one another a look. “Oniroyov?”

“What’s the son’s name?” Soren demanded, sliding the news article down in his search.

“Luka,” Mr. Lund answered, slightly taken aback. “Do you know him, Soren?”

“Sweet fuck,” Soren murmured, when the photo of Luka appeared onscreen. He quickly shot Mr. Lund an apologetic look, before looking back to the article. “Do they know who did it?” Soren asked.

“No.” Cody’s father answered, shaking his head. “The murder weapon was a shotgun, though. They think Gregory—her husband—might have finally snapped and killed her.”

Soren looked at Mr. Lund, his face a mass of confusion. “What?”

Mr. Lund shrugged again. “The family has had problems. They’ve lost two sons within four years and now….”

Cody stared at Soren, setting a hand on his boyfriend’s thigh beneath the table. Soren noticed and shot him a weak smile, before glancing back to the article. “Wow,” he whispered. “How’d they…?”

“Doesn’t say,” Mr. Lung answered. “Give it a day or two. They news stations will run with this for as long as possible, digging up everything.”

Soren managed a light nod, before sighing and sliding the tablet back. Mr. Lund took it, taking a sip of his coffee with his spare hand. He sighed as well, standing from the table. “Gregory’s the main suspect at the moment, and he’s still at large. The shotgun’s missing too.” He looked at his son, who eyes were still glued on Soren. Mr. Lund raised his eyebrows shortly, before shaking his head lightly and continuing, “Don’t stay out late.”

“Aren’t we going to the Lager’s barbeque?” Cody asked his father.

The man’s face drained, as his eyes quickly fell on Soren. “That was today?”

“Five o’clock,” Soren answered, grinning.

My. Lund nodded slowly. “Sorry,” he whispered. “Sure, we’ll go. Will you two meet us there, or…?”

Cody nodded, “Soren and I are going… somewhere, first. We’ll be there, though.”

“Alright,” Mr. Lund whispered. “I’ll be in my office.”

The moment a door closed down the hall, Cody looked at Soren, who was staring back at him. The two simply watched one another, before Soren pulled out his cell phone and studied it instead. “Think he’d answer?”

Cody gave a shrug, much like his father’s. “I don’t know,” he whispered nonchalantly.

Soren glanced back to his boyfriend, his face split between multiple clashing emotions. “Should we even try?”

Cody’s eyes widened. “I… don’t know?”

Soren flinched. “Cody….”

Cody grinded his teeth, turning away from Soren. “Dude….”

“How can you not care at all?” Soren demanded. “I mean, the kid’s mother just died, maybe killed by his father. That’s some fucked up shit. What if he needs someone right now?”

“Why does it have to be us?” Cody shot back, glaring back. “We barely know the guy, Soren.”

“Because it’s the right thing to do!” Soren shouted. “Put yourself in his shoes. His mother is fucking dead, his father is fucking crazy. He’s lost two fucking brothers. Even I’d be breaking down right now!”

Cody bit his lip, bending under Soren’s unwavering gaze. The boy was stubborn, impossible to deal with when he thought he was right.

And maybe he was. Cody sighed, slumping in his seat. “Call him then.”

~.~.~.~

Luka stirred, his hands swiping at the empty space beside him. Suddenly, his pillow began to stir, and he soon became conscious enough to hear his phone vibrating inches from his face. He grabbed it groggily, wiping his eyes with his free hand as he sat up.

His attention was split, broken between finding out who would text him at eight in the morning and just where he was.

It was a room, he noticed. It didn’t look too dirty, which assured him somewhat. He hadn’t expected it to be so clean, considering how many people went through it a month—maybe even a day. The woman that had led him to it had been reasonably good-looking, almost youthful, even.

She’d tried to bed him, and—to his own surprise—he’d actually rejected her. She’d left thereafter, coming back with the owner—a big, tall man, proudly flashing his muscles beneath a wife-beater, despite the evening weather. A short standoff had followed, one defused easily by a few bills, and sealed closed over a smoke.

Consequently, Luka had gotten a calm sleep, and only now was his mind beginning to race. “Hey,” he muttered, holding his phone to his ear.

His voice was small, raspy even; it was clear he’d been asleep moments before. “Sorry,” Soren said, silently cursing himself.

“Yeah, whatever,” Luka answered, smiling slightly. “What’s up?”

“Nothing really,” Soren replied. “I was just wondering… how are you?”

“How am I?” Luka questioned with a snicker. “I’m good? Random question, dude.”

Soren rolled his eyes, sighing into Luka’s ear. It sent a chill up the latter’s ear, despite the distance between them, a mile? Maybe two. “Maybe,” Soren said at last. “But, seriously… how are you?”

Luka pouted slightly, his mind kicking into action, remembering yesterday and running scenarios. “Was there something on the news?” he asked at last.

“Yeah,” Soren answered slowly.

“What, exactly?”

“Where are you, Luka?”

Luka looked around him again, taking in the light decorations throughout the room, and the window that rested a few feet away. It was bright outside. “Not at home, obviously,” he answered, pouting. “What do you know, Soren?”

“Not much,” Soren returned. “Just that some bad shit went down at your house. Where are you?”

“Bad shit?” Luka replied with a snicker. “That’s an understatement.”

“You shouldn’t be alone right now,” Soren returned.

Luka frowned again. “Probably not,” he whispered.

“Tell me where you are.”

It was silent for a few moments, before Luka finally sighed and stood up. Even away from home, he slept in his underwear. That, however, didn’t stop him from walking to door and taking a few steps outside. “Moor’s Motel,” he answered, looking up at the sign sitting on the corner of the lot.

“Moor’s Motel?” Soren repeated, shocked. “The hell are you doing there?”

Luka smirked. “You’re not as innocent as I thought, Soren,” he snickered. “I needed a place to stay. These guys didn’t mind providing it.”

“Whatever,” Soren sighed after a moment. “Cody and I’ll head over soon. Don’t go anywhere, kay?”

“I’ll try not to,” Luka returned, grinning slyly. “I mean, I’m not at a whorehouse or anything.”

“Slut,” Soren muttered, moments before hanging up.

~.~.~.~

“Will you help?” Noel asked, meeting Lea’s eyes. She’d been staring silently at him, listening to his story. It’d been a long one, covering nearly two years of his life, and ending with a cliffhanger.

“You’re gay?” she blurted out, a bit too loudly.

Noel rolled his eyes, shoving her against her car door. “You’re lucky no one’s around to hear,” he muttered.

“Sorry,” she said. “It’s just, unexpected.”

Noel raised his eyebrow. “Woman,” he stated. “You call me homo at least once a fucking day.”

“As a joke, though!” she declared defensively. “I didn’t think you’d really be gay.”

“Well I am,” Noel whispered. “And I’m asking for your help.”

Lea pouted, looking her friend over. “You want me to drive you halfway across the country,” she said lightly. “For some guy.”

“When you put it that way,” Noel hesitated, “yes.”

“Is he cute?”

“The cutest.”

“Got a picture?”

“Not any you’d want to see.”

“Only the best of dicks are good enough for my baby,” Lea teased.

“I’m not showing you his dick,” Noel muttered, blushing. “That’s for my eyes only.”

Lea rolled her eyes. “And you only got nudes of this guy?”

“No,” Noel replied, breaking into a grin, “I just wanted to gloat.”

“There’s school this coming week,” she replied.

“We can get there and back before midnight,” Noel returned, “if we leave now.”

“Will you actually come back?” Lea questioned.

Noel smirked. “I dunno,” he answered. “Maybe? I mean…”

“You’re coming back with me,” Lea decided for him. “No way in hell I’m letting you fuck up your life.”

Noel simply snickered, sighing as he pushed back into her seat. “So you’ll do it?”

“We leave now,” Lea ignored him. “And you’re begging my parents for forgiveness.”

Noel beamed, as he leaned across the gap to hug Lea. “This is why you’re my bestie!”

“Yeah, whatever,” she replied, smiling as she shoved him back. “You’re also paying for gas and food.”

“Bitch,” Noel said with a giggle.

“Desperate whore,” she shot back. Noel flustered, even he was thinking it was exactly that. “You’ve already packed, right?”

Noel nodded, pointing to the book bag that sat in the backseat. “You’re a sucker for love, Lea,” he explained.

“Shut up,” Lea giggled, as she started up her car.

Within moments, she was backing out of Noel’s driveway, a wide grin spread across Noel’s face.

Luka would finally get to know his name.